baby, it's cold inside.

no, really. my furnace is broken.

BUT i have a roof over my head, a duvet to sleep in, and thanks to my neighbours, a portable fire place thing-a-ma-bobber that is currently heating my front room.

i can't help but think of my friends on the streets in times like these. the cold is a lot more bearable with all of the above, and because i know that a handy man (hopefully a handsome handy man) will be here tomorrow between 8a.m and noon to fix it. my friends, you see, they don't have that luxury.

part of my role with project serve, youth unlimited is to come alongside great organizations in the GTA who are doing what they can to provide warmth, shelter, clothes and food to those who don't have access to these things otherwise. organizations like st felix centre, who open their doors to 300+ people a day and pump out over 9,000 meals/month. or st. francis table, who just recently hit the million dollar meal mark. not to mention the good shepherd or scott mission, who provide a warm bed for those who see themselves as in a season of transition or stuck in a cycle of poverty.

my team and i do what we can to support these organizations by providing them with the necessary volunteers thanks to the countless youth who sign up for one of our service project trips each year. we get to run pre-trip workshops, serve alongside the youth for weeks at a time and help them process what they're seeing, feeling and learning with the intent that they go back and serve in their own communities. it's a win-win, really. the youth walk away transformed and end up transforming our (their) city, organizations get the help that they need to run their programs effectively and i get to use my gifts and live my dream.

but i can't do it alone.

youth unlimited requires all of their staff to fund raise their salary, and thanks to many generous donors, i have raised enough to work twenty hours a week. would you consider helping me increase the amount of time i am able to work by supporting me $20/month (or any amount that your heart so desires) and/or by donating a one-time end of the year (and very tax receiptable) gift by copying and pasting the link below? (it won't let me add the link.) in doing so, you won't only be helping invest in the lives of countless young people, but you'll be helping "paula falla her calla' by doing what she cans to spread love to those who need it the most.

www.paulac.yugta.ca